


Taming the Lion

by dreadwolfcullen



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: I have no idea what I'm doing, Multi, Polyamory, Slight hints of smut at first, Uh..., description of cullen's time at kinloch hold, then actual smut later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:40:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22680355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreadwolfcullen/pseuds/dreadwolfcullen
Summary: Dorian Pavus and Cullen Rutherford drink together and nearly have mindless sex. Until Cullen throws that word around (mage), and Dorian seeks to understand the cryptic ex Templar before they have bedded.
Relationships: Dorian Pavus/Cullen Rutherford, Fenris/Female Hawke/Merrill, Merrill/Cullen Rutherford
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Maraas-Lok and Past Indiscretions

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a quick one shot, to jolt my brain back into order for work on I'll Be Waiting (just for you). But noooo.it wiggled itself into my brain and now it won't leave until I explore it. 
> 
> Beware of possible rape/noncon later on, as well as talk of abuse and other things. And almost immediate smut...but not who you think.

The glorious bronzed god Dorian Pavus strolled through Skyhold as though he owned it.

Well…he kind of did. He owned the inquisitor, anyway. 

He smirked remembering the way the lovely Lavellan boy had slurped down his cock, smirking up at him with those lyrium blue eyes of his. Dorian’s hand had tousled the boy’s hair, playing with the little braid on one side as Falonuralan laved his heated shaft with that pointed tongue of his, his other hand tracing the tattoos on his face -whose? Falon’Din? Sylaise?-  
His reverie had gotten him irrevocably lost for a moment, until he woke and realized whose office he’d accidentally wandered to. 

His eyes wandered up… dark steel armor, black and red fur…thing, light stubble, full lips, scar. At this moment those lips were twisted mostly downward, though the scar pulled the left side of those luscious lips upward. Amber eyes and bushy brows, curly yet styled hair. 

“Can I help you, Dorian?” the ex-Templar asked, not unkindly.

“Oh, you know, simply wandering round my new home, and found myself here.” 

The mage snickered wickedly and pushed papers aside on Cullen’s desk, perching upon it and crossing his legs delicately, to their best angle, of course. Must show his best for the Lion of Ferelden.

Cullen huffed and looked up at the insistent mage, eyes like a storm in amber.

“Is there any particular reason you’re sitting on my desk as though it were your personal cushion instead of my workspace?” The Templar raised an eyebrow, his eyes questioning. He was as yet unsure if the Altus could be trusted and treated him as such.

“Hmm, nothing in particular…I suppose I simply wished to inquire as to whether you were hungry.” Hmm. Showing concern was usually out of Dorian’s wheelhouse, however the blonde ignited his curiosity, as well as…other things.

Cullen was surprised. The mage had never shown concern for anyone aside from the Inquisitor during the time he’d been here so far. The Commander’s first impulse was to say no, but his stomach rumbled.

“Fine,” Cullen growled, standing. “I will meet you at The Herald's Rest.” 

“Oooh, bold, Commander! Our appearance will certainly set tongues wagging.”

Cullen rolled his eyes and stalked out, like the lion he was named for. Dorian shivered in his unfashionable but warm Southern boots.

~~~

Cullen continued stalking until he’d reached the courtyard, standing completely awkwardly by the stairs. Why had he agreed to this? His hand migrated to the back of his neck and a blush colored his cheek without him even noticing. He frowned. This was simply a bad idea.

And here came Dorian fucking Pavus, tripping along like the foppish mage he was. 

“Good evening, Commander! I see my date is a blushing boy. Is this your first date with a man?~ or simply your first with an evil mage?”

“Stop, Pavus. This is NOT a date,” Cullen positively growled, glaring at the Tevinter.

“Oh come now, amatus, embarrassed of me already?” Dorian spat the word in Tevene as though it were a curse.

Cullen silently grabbed the fabric at the mage’s throat and stared at him, silently staring, an unspoken threat.  
Dorian’s blood electrified, he taunted the Templar again. “Oh, come now. Don’t tease unless you’re putting out. That’s not fair.”

Cullen snarled, “You will cease this inane annoyance, or I shall Silence you. If you wish to eat dinner with me, I will not be poked and prodded through the experience.”

Dorian pouted. “Fine.” Cullen released him and they walked silently into the Herald’s Rest. The flamboyant mage batted his eyebrows as he looked around, giving a small but regal wave to Bull and Sera at a separate table drinking maraas-lok. He glided to an upstairs table, giving Cabbott a signal for two specials for dinner and a glass of wine. Cullen ordered a Ferelden beer, disgusting. 

As the two men stepped upstairs, they noticed a dark corner, two elves and a flash of blonde hair. Inquisitor…and one of the serving boys, eyes blown with lust, the servant knelt in the corner with the Inquisitor's elvhen cock in his mouth.  
Cullen’s eyes were shock  
ed at first, then the pupils blew wide with lust, his cheeks glowed red, his bottom lip caught between two teeth.  
Dorian noted this and his full, mustachioed lips lifted in a smirk. He'd hold that information back for later. For now, his elegant fingers touched the cold armor at the small of his back. 

“Come now, Commander. I believe our Falonuralan is otherwise occupied. Unless we'd like to join in?”

Cullen’s eyes darkened, filled with a wild ardor. He briefly considered slamming the chatty mage against a different wall, then managed to rein himself in. 

“No. That will not be necessary.” He pushed past the rutting elves, disgust plain on his face. To take the servants for his own pleasure…Cullen had hoped Falonuralan was better than that. They stepped back downstairs, Cullen uncomfortable with the knowledge that no matter where they sat upstairs the two elves in their pleasure haze would be audible. So, Dorian dragged the Commander to Bull and Sera’a table, almost instinctively knowing what Cullen’s issue was. Maybe it was his own.

The Bull greeted the two men with a loud “HUZZAH!” and Sera babbled something about owing Varric five quid. Maraas-lok was poured and down the Commander’s throat before he could protest. He coughed and choked, and drank some more. 

Dorian’s grey eyes coursed over Cullen’s handsome face, as what seemed to be a wall fell. His lips lifted into a delicious smirk and his lovely amber eyes melted to honey color. Drinking and telling stories, Cullen seemed to loosen his stranglehold on himself. 

“Hey, Curly! Never see you in here! Got a couple folks you might remember visiting. You remember Hawke,” the woman with short dark hair and green eyes nodded with a smirk to Cullen, a slightly intoxicated Commander grinned lopsidedly back. “Broody's here too,” the white haired elf with green eyes and the lyrium markings Danarius' 'little wolf’s had possessed caught Dorian’s eye. “And you remember Daisy,” and here a sweet young elf smiled at Cullen gently, stepping over to hug him lightly. “Commander now, hmm? Well, ma'vhanan, I’m proud of you.” 

Cullen’s blood ran cold. Only Merrill could still assume a ten year old clandestine relationship born out of simple need and lust was still on. 

Fenris’s green eyes shot over to him, a clear look of warning in them. If he hurt her, he'd have hell to pay.

“Thank you, beautiful,” he murmured, a little smile across his face.

~~~

Dorian’s good mood evaporated when the Champion and her beloved, the lyrium wolf, as well as their young elvhen friend, apparently Cullen’s what, girl? Wife? She called him vhenan, which he knew meant ‘my heart’ in elvhen.

He drank glass after glass of maraas-lok, choking and coughing each time. Cullen kept right on up with them. They continued until the Champion and her retinue took their leave for the night. Dorian looked questioningly to Cullen.

“Not gonna follow your girlfriend upstairs?” he asked scathingly.

“She’s not my girlfriend, Dorian. She was a port in a storm, and she developed a crush. She knows I do not truly return her feelings. I cannot any longer. The touch of a woman repulses me, since…Kinloch.”

Cullen likely revealed more than he meant too, a side affect of the disgusting, yet mind obliterating, Qunari drink. Dorian decided to not comment on that, instead offering to help Cullen to his bed. 

The Commander graciously accepted the assistance, leaning heavily on the magister as Dorian leant on his staff. They made their way into Skyhold’s courtyard, and Cullen stopped, staring up at the stars. 

“They are beautiful down South.” Dorian whispers.

“Many things are beautiful down South.” Cullen replied, leaning on Dorian.

“You are one of them.”

“Am I? I hardly noticed,” the handsome blonde maneuvered himself to stand before Dorian, against the wall of the stairs.

“Of course you wouldn’t, you work too much.” Dorian retorted, breathless from the proximity, the elderflower and oakmoss smell of him. Leather, steel, a light touch of lyrium. It was intoxicating.

“Do you have another way to keep me occupied, mage?” He practically spits the word, and Dorian recoiled as if he'd been hurt.

“I think not, Commander. I could not bed a man who thinks the magic in my blood is a curse.”

The Tevinter ducked under Cullen’s arm, twisting around him. “You’ll have to get home yourself, Templar.” He said as he snagged the staff from Cullen’s light grip, heading up the stairs to the great hall.

Cullen rolled his eyes and walks up to the ramparts, heading towards his office. Blighted peacock magister, getting him drunk, leading him on and just leaving him like this. He growled and entered his office, locking both doors and climbing up to the loft. He lighted a candle on the bedside table and removed his armor piece by piece. Soon he stood shaking in a simple shirt and breeches. He was nearly getting into bed when a gentle knock came from the door. 

“Commander?” Merrill's quiet butt spoke outside the door.

“Merrill…now’s not a good time.”

“Cullen…just let me in, vhenan. I need to talk to you.”

He sighs and climbs down. Opens the door. “What is it, beautiful?”

She almost physically cringes. “Dread Wolf take me…Cullen. I care about you, but…”

“It’s not the same as back in Kirkwall? I don’t feel the same either.”

She frowns until he finishes the sentence, then her eyes light up.  
“Thank the Creators… Cullen it’s nothing against you, mind. I just…Hawke helped me with something and we...and Fenris... kind of…”

“Merrill I don’t need details. Go, be happy. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Tell Aveline and Donnic I said hello.”

The pretty green eyed girl tiptoed and gave Cullen a kiss on the cheek. “Go be happy yourself, Cullen. Take care.”  
She scampered out of his office and he locked the door she'd come in. Then returned up to his loft and lay in bed, thinking. 

Dorian heavily figured in those thoughts, the smirky peacock fluttering around as though he were a moth and Cullen the candle. The ex-Templar's cock hardened in his breeches and eventually, with his eyes closed, Cullen’s large hand reached in and drew it out. He held it, large and heavy, in his hand as he began to visualize the Tevinter knelt before him, sucking his cock as that elven servant had done with Falonuralan's. He moaned and squirmed, flicking his thumb over the head of his cock and distributing the pearl of precome there. 

Another knock on the door was nearly ignored until…

“Cullen! I can hear you in there.” The refined accent of the very same blighted Tevinter he’d been…oh Maker.

“Dorian please. Forget this exists. Forget you heard this. You can’t fuck me, right? You won’t.”

Dorian sighed and softly tapped the door, activating his magic. An unlock spell. He climbed up the ladder once he was sure the door had locked behind him and sat on the edge of the bed.

“I was wrong, Cullen. It was wrong of me to get you all excited then just walk away like a pissy child. Let us try, together, to make this work.”

“Can it even work? You’re a mage. I…have hated mages in my past. Mages have hurt me as no other can. Kinloch…”

“What happened there, lovely lion?” Dorian asked with a concerned expression. “That is, only if you are willing to share.”

Cullen sighed.

“When I was younger, I was stationed at Kinloch Hold, Ferelden's Circle of Magi. Have you heard about that?” he asks, hoping maybe to lessen the amount of explaining and possible flashbacks he’d have to go through.

“I had heard something bad happened. What was it? Abominations? Blood magic?” Dorian looked at Cullen, his usually haughty face soft with worry, the grey eyes soft and full of concern instead of mirth or mischief.

Cullen sighed. “You’ll never know how right you just were. One of the mages, Uldred, allowed himself to be overtaken by a demon. Pride.” Cullen scoffed.“ They overtook us. We were unprepared and I was young and green. I had no idea what dealing with a demon was like.”

Dorian sighed, his eyes filling with sympathy for poor Cullen.

The ex-templar went on. “I was tortured…bled for magic. It was horrible. Blood and viscera everywhere…” he closed his eyes hard as he was overcome with the remembrance of that desire demon and what it had done to him. Tears squeezed out of his eyes.

“Enough, Cullen. I understand…I don’t need to hear more.” Dorian gently lifted his face, a soft, warm hand, smaller than his, was placed gently on his cheek as Dorian kissed him.

Gentle, at first, but it was Cullen who deepened it. He’d been with men before…any port in a storm. But he had never in his life been with a man like Dorian Pavus.

Cullen broke the kiss sooner than Dorian would like. “Dorian…you need to hear this. Warden Amell…” 

“Cullen. I’m not going to allow you to possibly have a flashback by letting you continue this. I understand, Cullen. I empathize. You do not need to go on any longer.” He sighed. “In fact…I’m going back to my quarters. I have seen the only way to get you to trust me and even like me, is time.”

“Dorian…you don’t have to go without. I’ll suck you off if you wish.”

“As tempting an offer as that may be, my dear lion, I want you to feel safe around me first. So, I bid you good night.” The magister stood and bent over Cullen on the bed, kissing him on the forehead gently. “Sleep well, amatus.” This time, the Tevene word didn’t come out like a curse.


	2. A New Morning, and a Surprise Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Templar wakes with a mage in his bed, and makes a decision. He will be Dorian's in appearance until he's able to belong to the mage fully. And, the entire inquisition throws a big surprise party! Including a few guests and a near revelation...which Cullen would rather people not know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not 100% on this chapter but I decided I'd have to finish it if I wanted to move on. This is unbeta'd, so it may be slightly out of character. I certainly hope not.

Cullen woke in Dorian’s arms the next day, semi frantic and breathing hard, his vision muzzy and his heart beating out of his chest. He sat up, glancing around him quickly for any signs of debauchery. Did they? Could they have?  
“Come back to sleep, handsome lion. We did nothing untoward, and day has not even dawned. You simply must stop working yourself so hard,” a purring masculine voice drew him to lay back down upon his hay filled mattress.  
“D-Dorian…we did nothing?”  
“No, my golden boy. I realized I would have to show you that I could be trusted, do you remember?”  
Cullen searched his memory, a gentle good night kiss and his offer to suck the Tevinter off. His face colored immediately beet red and he hid his face in the crook of Dorian’s neck. “Maker’s breath, I was extremely forward last night…”  
“Nonsense, amatus. You were gorgeous last night. I simply do not wish to take advantage of what you offer under the influence. Also, my declaration still stands. I will not take you until you feel safe around me, at least. I am going to pamper and delight you, my sweet.”  
“But Dorian…why me? There must be easier quick lays.”  
Dorian sits up a bit and pulls Cullen’s face from it’s hiding spot. His gray eyes search Cullen’s beautiful amber ones, less guarded than they were yesterday. “There are. But,” and here he lifts Cullen’s chin and kisses the man sweetly. “I want to unwrap you. Learn what makes you tick, press all your buttons and when I finally have you limp in my hands…” here he kisses Cullen more deeply, languidly and passionately. “Then I will truly be able to take you, without the pretenses. You will trust me, and I will trust you. You will be as pliant as a sleepy little lion cub.”  
Cullen’s blush somehow intensified, and he began to squirm against Dorian’s thigh and whine.  
“I know, little lion,” Dorian said in a purr. “But you shall have to trust me first. Now, amatus. A little more sleep for my handsome golden boy.”  
~~~  
A few hours later, Cullen woke up to an empty bed. However, he did hear humming down the ladder, and he stood as though to climb down.  
“Commander, darling? Are you quite well? I see our dear Dorian has taken up residence here.”  
Maker’s breath, Vivienne. He sighed and climbed, with no grace, down to the bottom, his office.  
“Madame Vivienne. What a pleasure to see you this morning. Any specific reason I have the pleasure of entertaining you today?”  
The First Enchanter laughs, a polite giggle. “None other than spurious gossip, Commander. It appears you were seen with our dear magister last night. He has not deflowered you, has he?”  
Cullen couldn’t help but to look at her and burst out laughing. He’d been deflowered by a man so very long ago.  
Suddenly, one of the doors to his office opened, and Cullen, hopelessly giggling, looked up while he cleared his eyes of tears brought by laughter.  
“Now Vivienne, you know it’s impolite to gossip, you old crone. And I don’t think our Commander’s love life is any of your business. Poor old woman. Been so bored since Bastien died, she can’t help but stick her valkyrie claws into any happy couple she sees.”  
Vivienne built herself up into a towering fury. “Fine. Just know, the Inquisitor will know about this. All of Orlais will gossip about the Inquisitor’s commander and it’s lecherous Tevinter magister.”  
“Let them.” Cullen answered. “This brings me no shame. In fact, I am happy. You should be happy for me.”  
Dorian hid a little secret smile. His plan with Vivienne was going perfectly.  
“Oh darling, I am! You are finally finding some semblance of happiness and perhaps you will learn that we mages are not all abominations.”  
Dorian smiled, as did Cullen, as the smaller man came to stand by Cullen, wrapping an arm around his waist as Cullen gently kissed him. “I was worried when I saw you’d left.” He pouted.  
“We can speak about that later, amatus. Vivienne, I appreciate your worry, truly we both do, but our commander has not eaten yet this morning. I am sure you will understand if we cannot stay, Cullen cannot serve the Inquisition if he’s not at his best.”  
“Indeed I do understand. Treat him right, Dorian. One must still keep up appearances.” The First Enchanter swooped out and Dorian smiled coyly up at Cullen. “Did you…mean that?” he asks, allowing a bit of insecurity to show. He had always been in 'suck each other off behind the curtains then forget each other exists' type scenarios. It was different when seemingly one was proud to be with him.  
“I did. You showed me much of your worth last night by declining to take me whilst I was under the influence. I am willing to get to know you, be yours in appearance until I am yours fully.”  
Dorian smiled softly. “What a quick change from yesterday. Speaking of, let’s go get food in the Herald’s Rest. The Inquisitor wanted to speak with us.”  
Cullen acquiesced with a nod. “I am hungry indeed. And it might be nice to allow the men to see me outside my official capacity.”  
“Then so we shall.” Dorian held open the door for the Commander, smiling broadly as Cullen gently patted his bum on the way out. “Already laying claim, Commander?”  
“Mhmm. You’re mine, mage,” the lion said with a stretch and a yawn. Checking that he was decent to leave his office. A pair of pants and a simple tunic, and boots. He nodded, satisfied.  
The newly minted couple ambled to the tavern, and Cullen opened the door. Dorian entered and looked around. Varric and his crew, Sera, Bull and the Chargers, even Josephine, Leliana and Cassandra were sat at a table waiting for the two. “Hurrah to Skyhold’s new power couple!” shouted Blackwall down from the rafters, followed by a round of applause from all three floors of the tavern. Cullen, bright red but refusing to back down, wrapped his arm around Dorian as they walked in. They sat at the two chairs set for them, as friend after friend hugged and congratulated both of them. “We were waiting for this, you two lummoxes.” Cassandra smiled. “I had a bet with Varric that it’d take until we defeated Coryphetits for you two to figure out you liked each other.”  
“You? Had a bet with Varric? Who are you and what did you do to my Seeker?” Cullen asked, laughing. The explanation for Cassandra’s seemingly relaxed state poked his head out of the crowd and yelled, “Hey! That’s MY seeker, thank you!”  
Ah. So the Inquisitor had figured himself out. “Excellent! Well done, Falonuralan. Come show your face, you scamp!” Dorian spoke, grinning. The Inquisitor obliged, leaning on Solas' arm. “I cannot believe it. You managed to get the grumpy hah’ren out of his rotunda!”  
Solas smiled, enigmatically. “Love is a thing to be celebrated, no matter the time or place. I wish you two lath bellanaris, love for eternity.”  
Cullen blushed more and the Inquisitor giggled. “You may cause him to explode, hah’ren.  
“And so he shall, then. Remember to use lube, Dorian.” Solas took pleasure out of the aghast expression on Cullen’s face.  
Merrill came up from the crowd, one arm draped around Fenris and the other on Hawke's bum, Hawke offering Cullen a cup of tea and Merrill giving Solas a kiss on the cheek. “Be careful. Dorian still needs the poor man alive!” Cullen smiles and receives his tea, made just as he remembers her making it.  
“Perhaps we should allow the poor Commander and his peacock to eat, Merrill?” Fenris’s deep gravelly voice asked.  
“Oh all right. You two be happy.”  
As the two sat down, a hush started from the back of the crowd. It seemed they had a visiting dignitary.  
“That’s his royal cheesiness king Alistair!” Sera exclamed informally. The handsome man with golden hair and blue eyes laughed while Dorian scolded Sera for addressing his highness as such.  
“Oh, no, Ser Dorian, that’s the best way anyone’s referred to me, ever,” the king laughed, as the queen nodded “He’ll cherish that forever, Sera,” lady Sophia Amell said, giggling. “He delights in his love of cheese.”  
Alistair looked somewhat offended, and playfully smacked his wife’s behind. Dorian would have been scandalized had Cullen not whispered that Alistair had not been trained to be king, he was a simple bastard before the events of the Fifth Blight.  
“To what do we owe the honor of your visit, your highness?” asked Cullen, a light smile on his lips.  
“I simply wanted to see how my favorite ex-templar has been,” answered Alistair.  
“Your favorite Templar? You and Cullen worked together?” Dorian asked.  
“Ah, only briefly. He was a recruit and It was just before my vigil. Thank the Maker Duncan came around to recruit me else I’d be…” he looks to Cullen, whose face looks slightly thunderous.  
“Never mind. I…should let the Commander eat. Farewell, all of you.” Alistair and Lady Sophia left the tavern and Cullen breathed a sigh of relief. Other than Cassandra, Alistair was the only one who knew that he’d stopped taking the lyrium.  
Dorian looked to his plate and began eating, as the tavern settled into eating and drinking a bit more quietly themselves. Cullen, a bit uncomfortable with the attention he’d gotten, sighed in relief and attacked his pancakes with gusto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are life and kudos are the cheese to my Alistair.


	3. Picnics, Dresses, and Gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new power couples of Skyhold have a picnic.

Dorian had dropped him off back in his tower with a gentle kiss, stating that he’d return to make sure the Commander had lunch. Once he was in his office, he’d put his half plate back on, and with it returning to his normally cool, business first mentality. 

A couple hours into his day, he had left to meet with Leliana and Alistair on matters of Ferelden and Grey Warden business. When he’d returned half the day later, with a bit of a hangdog look, he could not suppress a smile at the sight of a pitcher of pink lemonade and some fancy Orlesian cakes, in various flavored pairings suited to white chocolate. He was still smiling at the small gift as Falon entered with Cassandra. 

“Morning, Cullen. Gifts from your mage?” Cassandra asked.

“Yes, it would appear so. Would you like a glass of lemonade?”

“Only if you’ll take it and those fancy cakes in the garden with us and your boyfriend.” Talon smiled.

“Inquisitor, I still have so much work to do…”

“Cullen…” Cassandra gave him that Look. The “you’re working yourself to death and I doubt Dorian would like it.” Look. 

“All right, Maker’s breath you’d think my boss should be encouraging me to work, not to laze around in the garden.”

“There will be plenty of work to be done all the time, Cullen. It is important, especially in the middle of a war, that we take time with our loved ones to destress and simply enjoy the time we have now.” Cassandra spoke.

All right, he couldn’t deny she was right in that case. This was indeed a war, it was an extremely stressful time, a few moments of joy couldn’t hurt. Varric always did say he spent too much time with a serious expression on his face. 

“All right. You’re not wrong, and working myself to death will only speed on my…well, death. Shall we go get Dorian?”

“There’s no need, Commander of my heart. I am a mage you know. I can read minds.”

Cullen gave Dorian a dirty look as the other couple in the room chuckled, comfortable enough with their relationship to lean on each other as they laughed. Dorian strode to his lion and, bold as brass, kissed the commander full on his lips. With tongue. Cullen squeaked and Cassandra booed. 

“Come on, lovebirds. We don’t have the whole day to waste away.” Falonuralan called.

Dorian moaned reluctantly but stepped away. “All right then, off with your armor. We’re not lunching as the inquisitor and his advisors, we’re just four friends. Even I managed to get Cassandra in a dress.” Dorian said, exceedingly proud of himself. 

Cullen hadn’t noticed. Now he looked, he saw. She was in a light cotton sundress, nothing overly fancy or gaudy. Simply a white dress, with a high bodice and V neckline, patterned with blue flowers. In her hand she held a white hat, with a big brim. As he noticed, she glared. “At least it’s not too frilly.”

“You look lovely, vhenan,” Falonuralan said. 

Cullen scrambled to remove his half plate, and stepped behind a screen to change. Dark pants and a dark plum shirt which highlighted his amber eyes. He stepped out and in the light of his arrow slit of a window, he practically glowed. 

Dorian gasped, his jaw on the floor. “Andraste’s tits…” 

“You blaspheme with every second breath, Dorian.” Cassandra frowned, making her trademark disgusted noise.

“And I take great pleasure in doing so.”

“Come on, children. Time for lunch.” Falon intervened, and off they went.

~~~

As they approached the garden, the servants preparing it scuttled off and the double couples got to take a look. Little wisps danced and played around the bower that had been set up for this purpose, a white wooden trellis with all colors of roses sprawling up its sides and across its roof. A gingham blanket spread across the grass, and an assortment of edibles sat atop it. Completing the picture, the most adorable mabari pup sat lolling in the grass near the picnic area, as well as a couple of gift wrapped boxes.

“Inquisitor! There you are!” Josephine called out, her clipboard in her hands as always. “Is everything to yours, and Ser Pavus’ satisfaction?”

Cassandra and Cullen both glared at their significant others. “You set this up!” they spoke in unison, then giggled at each other.

“Why yes, of course! We both wanted to prove how much you meant to us. And then Solas, of all people, offered to help. And then the whole castle began to join in! It was almost as if we’re the power couples of Skyhold or something.” Dorian said nonchalantly.

“We hope you don’t mind. We just…”  
“Mind? Mind! Of course we…” and here Cullen pinched his friend’s arm. “Don’t…mind…” she said slowly, smiling haltingly at Falon.

“No, we don’t, my peacock. Any show of…affection from you would have to be some grand thing.” Cullen chuckled. Josephine squeaked and exited the garden quickly as Dorian kissed him again and gently led him to the mabari. “This little girl is yours, as well. You Ferelden dog lords do love your hounds.” he spoke, while gently ruffling the dog's fur. She gave a wee squeaky bark, and they all laughed. 

The pup was only about six weeks old, grey and white, looking rather selfish. Its ears perked up, one flopped over. Gorgeous blue eyes surveyed the four, gravitating to Cullen. She stood, and flopped right at the Commander's feet.

"She's chosen you, amatus. Apparently, these mabari do choose their masters. 

At the sound of Dorian's voice, the little pup scorched up to lay on both pairs of shoes, Cullen's and Dorian's.

"You too, apparently." Cullen said, beaming.

"Oh no, my plan backfired, whatever shall I do," Dorian deadpanned, a smirk lingering behind the sarcasm.

Cullen smiled and knelt to pet the pup, gunning. “What’s her name?” he spoke, checking the Paul's gender under her grey and white fur.

“She doesn’t have one yet. I thought that would be your choice.” Dorian spoke, stepping delicately out from under the little one, to which she whined. "Oh come off it, little girl. I'm not a dog person." At that, the mabari sat up and looked directly at Dorian, the most heartbreaking puppy eyes he'd ever seen. "Ugh. Fine." He stepped back and the pup lolled all over his lovely suede boots. He couldn't help but smile, and pet the sweetheart.

“Hmm.” Cullen mused and mulled over the idea in his mind, thinking of lovely names for his new little girl. Finally he came up with one.

“Willow. There was a weeping willow near my pond growing up and I used to hide in its branches from my chores and my siblings. It meant a lot to me, so… Willow! Is that your name pretty girl? Huh? Is that your name? Such a pretty girl, little baby, my pretty Willow.”  
Watching how Cullen was with the pup, Dorian knew getting a puppy had been the right choice. Luckily, Falon knew of a family in Redcliffe whose bitch had whelped a litter of just two. He’d used the ancient elvhen fast travel stone they’d found while exploring Skyhold, and had purchased this little girl, who had grey and white markings and was a bit thinner than a typical mabari or so he’d been told. He knew nothing of the breed but he’d been explained to that they were created with magic as war hounds. This little one, Willow, the family had told him, would be more hunting dog than war hound, and that suited Falon just fine.


End file.
